The Tale of Malaika
by LeaHalalelaMalaika
Summary: This story takes place during the time of Kiara's reign. A narrative detailing the life of a vibrant lioness named Malaika, granddaughter of Kula and Chumvi. NEW CHAPTER UP AS OF 7/29/17
1. Introduction:

**Introduction: The Little Angel Sent from Heaven**

Safiyah and her loving husband gazed down upon their beloved bundle with ardent warmhearted eyes, their cheeks aglow with the joyous prospect of parenting this dazzling little emblem of purity. The little newborn cub, did not wail and toss her limbs wildly about like most other newborn cubs did, but instead, had entered the world radiating with a sweet sublime look of innocence. She had been blessed with the rich velvety coat of her father, a rarity nonpareil and highly envied by lions/lionesses all across the lands. It really was an uncommon trait to have such a velvety coat like Jabari's, hardly anyone ever encountered one who possessed such. As the exhausted yet proud mother gently tried to nurse her daughter to sleep, Jabari's fiery orange orbs slowly took in all of his daughter's features in wonderment, pleased to see that she had inherited both of the pairs' greatest attributes. His extremely rare shade of coat, and Safiyah's exotic eyes, which had been once lusted after by countless suitors. And they, like himself, had all been hopelessly drawn into the unfathomable depth that they possessed behind them. Safiyah's eyes were a penetrating sapphire blue, filled with myriads of angular, keen streaks of lighter shades that contrasted exquisitely with her chocolate colored coat. The lovely couple had been taken quite by surprise when their little daughter had decided to unveil her burgundy shadowed eyelids to reveal a set of surreal glassy orbs, glancing in every which way to get a glimpse of the new world in which she would soon learn to become very familiar with. They somewhat resembled Safiyah's shade, yet possessed a crystallized sort of quality that neither Safiyah, nor Jabari, had ever encountered with before. Her eyes were much lighter than her mother's, with crystal icicle like hues spiraling alongside the ring of her iris.

"Sh-sh...she's like an angel sent from heaven" stuttered Safiyah, trying to grasp her wavering words at the first sight of her breathtaking daughter.

Jabari nodded his head in agreeance, equally stunned. Slowly, he turned his head to glance at his loving mate and blurted out with a cheeky grin, "Well, she's sure gonna be a heartbreaker when she's older, don't you think, Saf?"

Safiyah threw her head back to release a hearty laugh, mildly annoyed at the fact that Jabari had brought up such a thing in a moment like this, "Not our little girl!" she retorted back. "I want her to remain exactly the way she is now, an angel. Bari dear, I would like to name her Malaika."

"Malaika.." he muttered, testing out the sweet word on his lips. He tried to picture himself with his daughter, "Malaika, don't come home too late!" "Malaika, don't play with snakes!" "Malaika, stay away from lions you don't know." "Malaika, I love you my sweet princess, Malaika."

He slowly smiled to himself and whispered lovingly into his mate's black rimmed ears, "I think that suits her perfectly,"

And as the vast sky above them erupted into an explosion of effulgent golden flames, the happy family together as one basked in the burning warmth of their idyllic, life changing day, unbeknownst to what would be awaiting them in the future.

Ahhh...I have now completed the introductory segment of the story! That was quite some fluff. If you have any questions about the story and how it will proceed, I promise to answer you to the best of my ability at the beginning of each and every following chapter! Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 1:

**Chapter 1:**

Chapter 1:

 **+CandyLuv99 Thank you! Im glad you like it so far. That means a lot considering this is my first story lol**

 *****I do not own any of the characters belonging to the Lion King movies.**

Malaika's birth had been nothing but a blessing to the pride trapped in a life/death battle against its own lands. The celestial fireball in the sky, in all its saffron-yellow glory, had once been respected by all as the strong supporting backbone behind the Circle of Life's very existence. Yet, through the wary eyes of many fatigued souls, it was now discerned as the leading expedite to its eventual downfall. The creatures who once prospered on these lands were rendered disoriented, their lives imprisoned in the midst of an unabating drought. The sun, once a friend, was now a sworn enemy, as it released excessive loads of scorching heat upon the fruit of its labor. The Wangari pride had been surviving off of little to nothing for many months. The venerable King Azizi, who was old and slowly becoming increasingly feeble by the day from the months of rationing and privation, was left without a heir to take over, (his only son had died from the drought a few weeks ago). A shared nightmare of young, burly rogues drunken on the idea of taking over the pride haunted the minds of all, especially the mothers. The fear aroused just from mere thought of the statement, combined with the possibility of it actually becoming a reality was a hair-raising horror. With all of the innumerable hardships being bravely endured, nothing would ever be able to compare to the loss of a beloved, innocent cub ended by the paws of a murderous, megalomaniac rogue. Each pride member held a far off forlorn look of hopelessness in their eyes. But even despite their daily amount of full-throttle struggles, they somehow managed to remain inwardly strong by feeding off of each other's radiating persistence and undeterred determination to survive.

The unwavering feelings of jubilation that Safiyah and Jabari experienced everyday from raising their young daughter made their incessant hardships easier to bear with, sometimes almost to the point of forgetting that there were any at all. Malaika's purity and vivacious spirit was their shining flashlight guiding them on an illuminated pathway through the dark abyss that they were internally being held unwillfully hostage in.

After a tiring and unsuccessful long day of hunting, Safiyah returned home empty-pawed, greatly disappointed in herself, even though she knew that the scarcity of the prey wasn't her fault. She was overwhelmed with fatigue, deep down she felt like weeping and giving up in despair, and she was stressed from worrying about when the pride's inevitable fate would arrive. But she knew, that for the benefit of Malaika, she must remain strong and regain her composure. She was willing to sacrifice everything to protect Malaika and she didn't want her pain to become a part of Malaika's pain.

As she slowly stepped inside the cave, she was welcomed by the sight of Akina, a small-sized young lioness with creamy fur and dazzling emerald green eyes. Akina was gentle and had proven to be a wonderful cub-sitter for all of the mothers.

"Thank you so much Akina,"

Akina returned Safiyah's gratitude with a warm smile but her eyes softened at the sight of the visible pain and heartache that Safiyah was struggling to conceal. As Safiyah gently nuzzled her sleeping cub, who was quickly nearing the age of where she would be old enough to venture outside of her humble abode to go play, Akina took the time to slowly walk over. She sat closely beside her friend and in a consoling tone she whispered sympathetically,

"Unsuccessful hunt?"

Safiayh quickly nodded, her eyes creasing violently, pained at the idea that she had yet again failed to provide for her little daughter.

Akina was about to reach over to hug her friend when Malaika slowly awoke from her deep slumber. Both paused to watch her, stock- still with anticipation. She released a dramatic yawn, elongated all of her sprawling limbs into the air to stretch, (which for a second, gave her the appearance/likeness of an overturned dung beetle), and then rolled straight into the big chocolate brown paws of her mother.

Malaika's face froze in shock for a second before she rubbed her eyes again to look up at her mother, who was snickering profusely with Akina.

"Well it's about time you woke up, sleepyhead" Safiyah said in a playful, yet stern tone.

Malaika giggled and replied with a goofy grin plastered all over her face "Sorry Momma… I had such a good dream though! I was running through a field of butterflies and they were all so beautiful and I was jumping and playing with them when suddenly _Whooosh_ they all picked me up and carried me up to those big sparkly things up there! Momma, what are those big sparkly things up there?"

Safiyah threw her head back to release a quick laugh. Boy, could her daughter ramble. She looked up at the sky longingly with a faraway look.

" Well, your grandmother once told me long ago, that her cubhood friend Simba, once said to her that all of the great kings of the past are up there, watching over us. So, Malaika dear, I don't know if this true or not, but I'd like to believe that whenever you feel alone or lost, the great kings of the past will be there to guide you, as will I,"

Malaika stared up at the glittering night sky in amazement. Her mind was lost in the endless sky above her. She wished the little butterflies in her dream could come out now to play with her and take her up there so that she could see these great kings.

"Malaika, before you go to sleep tonight and dream more about butterflies," Safiyah chuckled to herself, "Would you like to hear a story about the great Pridelands?"

Malaika bolted up from her resting position, attentive and enraptured by the idea of a great pridelands. She violently nodded her head, her eyes shimmering with spirit and adventure. Malaika loved to talk, her bubbly spirit prevented her from otherwise, but whenever it was story time, Malaika became as quiet as a field mouse.

"Well, okay then, long ago…" Safiyah trailed off, recounting the great story that her very own look-alike mother, Kula, had been a part of...

 _Your grandmother Kula, was born in the resplendent Pridelands, a beautiful place filled with never-ending springs, waterfalls, flowers, and plant life of all sorts. But the most extraordinary feature of the Pridelands that left anyone who ever visited rendered breathless was the colossal rock formation that stood hundreds of feet above all of the terrain. This was known by all as the majestic Pride Rock. During that time, an equitable and kind King ruled over the Pridelands. His name was King Mufasa, and he was a mighty lion, with a rich gold coat that shone very brightly in the sun and a large, full scarlet mane. He was quite a behemoth lion, but with his great size, was also accompanied with his great compassionate heart, which knew no limits. He was loved by all for his greatly held respect for all creatures, and most importantly, the Circle of Life, which keeps us all intact, from the tiny ant to the leaping antelope. Alongside him, ruled his beautiful, exotic wife, Queen Sarabi, who was the most strong-hearted lioness that your grandmother had ever met. King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi had a son, named Simba. Prince Simba was the spitting image of his father, and had also inherited his mischievous cub nature for adventure, that often got him and his friends into trouble. Your grandmother was friends with Simba, as well as five other cubs named Nala, Tama, Tojo, Malka, and finally Chumvi, your grandfather. Together, they had many adventures, all that I will tell you in good time. Now, when Prince Simba was born, he was given a magnificent ceremony, which was a tradition that went back generations to the very beginning of the pride's existence. The infant Simba, was held over Pride Rock by the pride's-_

"WHAT?! He was held over Pride Rock?! What kind of tradition is that?! What if they had dropped him Momma!"

Safiyah laughed at her shocked daughter's outburst. "Well that hasn't ever happened before," she chuckled. "But, with that said, may I please get back to the story?" Malaika nodded but not without whispering a quick "sorry".

 _So, little Simba was held over Pride Rock by the Pride's wise shaman and family friend, Rafiki, who presented him to all of the animals of the Pridelands. One by one, hundreds of elephants, giraffes, antelopes, zebras, and much more all bowed down to him to give their respects for their future king. But one particular creature was not there to witness the presentation. This creature, was the King's slightly younger brother, Scar, whose heart was filled with jealously and rage, and blinded by hatred towards his brother and new nephew. He thought that he should be King, and would let nothing stand in his way. So he plotted to get rid of him and Simba, so that he could ascend the throne._

"Thats horrible! How could he care more about being King than his own brother and nephew?!" Malaika exclaimed.

Safiyah sadly nodded back in deep understanding, as much as she wanted Malaika to know, she would not tell her that getting rid of Mufasa and Simba had meant that he had tried to kill them. Especially the part where Scar had managed to murder his own brother in the Olduvai gorge. No, she would tell her that when she was much older, and save all of the gruesome details for later.

 _Tragedy struck, and Scar ended up ascending the throne. He, in a falsely grave tone, reported to the weeping lionesses and cubs back at Pride Rock that Mufasa and Simba were umm….had …..gone missing. In Scar's reign, his laziness and neglect to the well-being of the Pridelands and his subjects led it to its drastic fate. He even let the Pridelands be overrun by hyenas, who in their greed, overhunted and wiped out all of the animals in the Pridelands. Over time, as all of Simba's once cubhood friends grew into strong lions/lionesses, the Pridelands at the same pace was slowly reduced to a desolate forsaken landscape, a shadow to its once former glory, ironically just like how Scar was with his brother. Everyone suffered miserably. There was no water, no food..._

"How familiar…" Safiyah thought to herself.

 _But no one was as strong and determined as the once Queen Sarabi. Even after experiencing the devastating loss of both her husband and son all in one day, she had still remained strong and served as a constant inspiration for her heart-broken pride. She truly had the heart of a real queen and never ceased to stop acting like the level-headed, intelligent, soft-spoken ruler she was, and that is why, in your grandmother's eyes, Sarabi will always be her queen, regardless of whether she has a title, or no title._

 _When all the males of the once group of cubs, now strong young adults, became of age, they were well aware for a long time that they were all in serious danger. Scar, who had a weakly frame and had never been gifted with the same brawn that his brother Mufasa had inherited, saw the young, strong-built males, Malka, Tojo, and your grandfather Chumvi as serious threats to his kingship. He was suspicious, as most power-hungry rulers are, that they would try to band together to take control over Scar's despotic regime. Unfortunately, it was really Malka,Tojo, and your grandfather who would be in the real trouble, seeing that Scar's hyenas could easily ki-...ov-overpower them. Together, they decided that they would have to leave the Pridelands forever, much to the dismay of Nala, Tama, and your grandmother. Tama who was in love with Malka, and your grandmother very much in love with your grandfather, felt compelled to join them. But it was a very difficult choice to make, because it would mean leaving Nala. But Nala insisted that they go and follow their hearts. So, sobbing profusely altogether, they each wished each other good luck as they said their final good-byes and separated. That was the last time your grandmother and grandfather ever saw the Pridelands._

 _The group of four travelling lovers, weary and weak from long hours of tiring search for help, eventually managed to come across our humble abode. The back then, young and newly appointed King Azizi welcomed them in with open arms. As soon as he heard the story of their home's tragic tyranny, he immediately sent out his majordomo, Chiku, to see how the Pridelands was doing and if they were still in need of any urgent help/assistance. Chiku, quickly returned back with good news, saying how the Pridelands has been restored to its past glory, and that Prince Simba had miraculously returned back to the Pridelands after being gone for so many years! According to Chiku, he had challenged and defeated Scar. Now, he was King, ruling alongside with his Queen, Nala. They had always been best friends since they were cubs and had been expected to become romantically tied together as they got older. All was well in the Pridelands once again,"_

"Wow, I can't believe….." Malaika cut herself off with a huge yawn.

"I think thats enough for today little one, off to bed now,"

"Goodnight momma," whispered Malaika with a sweet smile. Her dreams, this time, would not be of butterflies, but instead filled with the images of the majestic Pridelands.

"Goodnight love,"

But Safiyah was still restless. Jabari had not yet returned from his evening border patrol. As she sat waiting near the entrance of the pride's cave, her mind flooded with worries of the Wangari Pride experiencing a similar fate to what the Pridelands had once endured. Part of her told her not to worry and that everything would be alright, but she couldn't help but think: the Wangari Pride wasn't as half as strong as the Pridelands Pride. And a small voice in her head taunted at her, " And what if there is no lucky miracle like Simba to come rescue you guys? Then what?" Her horrible worries were cut short when she spotted a looming shadow inching closer towards the entrance. She got on all fours, hunched over with her claws slightly extended, just in case it turned out to be a threat. But luckily, it was just Jabari. Oh how glad she was to see him, home safe and unharmed. Jabari, exhausted from a long day, nodded to acknowledge his wife, and collapsed near his daughter, asleep within seconds.

Safiyah smiled to herself at the sight of the two of them. She slowly walked over and cuddled up near them, finally ready to sleep as well.

 **I wrote this particular section very late at night, so if it isn't very good then I apologize and I'll try my best to make it better later.**


End file.
